We all know that a positive attitude lends itself to a positive day, but we also know that some days are just harder than others; either there are extra stressors that day, or we just react more strongly to them.
There are many ways of dealing with such days, amongst my favourites are meditation, yoga, hiking, getting myself to a forest, and tea. And when I don’t have much time, nothing beats tea for me… a cup of something calm and a quiet moment, and I’m good to go.
What are Calming Teas; what teas help dissolve the stress and lighten the load?
Calming Teas
Green Tea ~ works best for me. Green tea contains the amino acid, L-theanine. L-theanine increases the activity of GABA (a neurotransmitter) and raises the levels of alpha waves, dopamine and seatonin, all of which produce an anti-anxiety, de-stressing, and overall calming effect.
Green Tea(1) is always my go to tea, but there are also some wonderfully soothing herbal infusions to be enjoyed. (Technically only tea from the Camellia sinensis plant is tea; everything else is an infusion or tisane(2)).
Lavender ~ helps reduce anxiety and is an anti-inflammatory, making it a wonderful tea for headaches, and for some people, even migraines. And because it has zero caffeine, it is a lovely and effective night-time tea to aid sleep.
Valerian Root ~ is another excellent tea for soothing the symptoms of anxiety and insomnia. And for some people, lavender and valerian infused together, work even more brilliantly as a sleepy time tea.
Chamomile ~ is beneficial for both the nervous and digestive systems, has excellent anti-inflammatory properties(3), and contains ‘spiroether’ (which is an antispasmodic) making it particularly good for treating tired muscles, pre-menstrual cramps, cramps generally, and overall tension.
Lemon Balm~ soothes frazzled nerves, relieves tension(4), alleviates heartburn(5), and promotes an overall sense of wellbeing! Even the scent has a tendency to impart joy.
Kava ~ is a medicinal root used to treat anxiety (it has properties similar to the medicine Buspar, but has the bonus of being a natural herb). A kava tisane works most effectively if you combine it with a fat, for example coconut milk, as this increases its potency.
Please note: if you have any kind of liver problem, check with your doctor before taking kava, and do not combine it with alcohol.
Calming Teas have a number of benefits beside their bioactive ingredients.
There are also the meditative aspects of drinking tea, of bringing your mind to the present moment, absorbing yourself in the ritual at hand, and enjoying a few minutes of quiet and stillness. All of these help immensely in releasing stress from the mind and body ~ hence the reason so many cultures around the world practice meditative rituals in their serving and drinking of tea.
Wishing that every cup of tea melts away your stresses, and increases the peace and enchantment of your day. May your magick serve you well. ~ GreenWitch Tea
Please note: I will write a Calming Teas Part 2 in the coming weeks.
And also note: I do not offer the above as instruction, only as information. Always check with your doctor or health practitioner for any specific ailment you may have.
(1) Green Tea (2) Tisanes (3) Lemon Balm (4) Lemon Balm for heartburn (5) Chamomile
2 Comments. Leave new
hi greenwitch, love the simplicity of how this is written,
i am not that good at reading which means i don’t always understand lengthy information,
but with your blog i am able to read it understand it and therefore use it in the future thank you.
Thanks so much for the feedback Mark, I am happy you enjoy my blogs… 🙂 Many blessings )o(